By Austin Ogwuda
THE Delta State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Renewal, Mr Michael Anoka is very angry over the sad incident whereby a two-storey building located opposite the Asaba International Airport collapsed on Thursday.
Commissioner Anoka expressed the anger when he visited the scene of the incident on Friday, narrating how the owner of the building was earlier warned to stop work because he was building without approved building plan.
His words, , “We visited the site along with the other management team of the Ministry to carry out on-the-spot assessment and it is to our dismay that the developer did not comply with extant rules and regulations guiding development in the State.
“The building under construction has no approved building plan and all necessary stop work notices were issued to the developer and the site sealed. They clandestinely resumed work recently.
It was also discovered that sub-standard building materials were used in the construction”.
The Commissioner further stated that the ministry had introduced a digitalised system that will be used for all policy plans/large developments, warning developers to desist in sharp practices as the law will certainly catch up with them.
He identified sub-standard materials and the engagement of quack Engineer as contributing factors leading to the collapse.
The Commissioner was however silent on the next line of action; while the whereabouts of the owner of the building meant for hotel purpose were not ascertained as at the time of this report.
*Source: Punch
